Building firm owner leaves clients in lurch

A builder who disappeared, leaving a couple’s dream house half built and bills piling up, has left the country.

Nelson company SmartWay Homes, which specialised in container homes manufactured in China, started installing Chris and Mellinda Fitzgerald’s container home in Mahana, near Nelson, late last year.

After numerous delays and problems with the build, SmartWay’s owner, German-born audiologist Bernd Mager, disappeared in May and could not be contacted.

Mager had prepared for his exit by quickly selling his house in Motueka, losing about $300,000 on the deal.

A police spokesman this week confirmed Mager flew from Christchurch to Singapore on May 18 and had not returned.

Fitzgerald said he was past heartbroken and the news of Mager’s exit from the country did not make much difference. He has lodged a fraud complaint with police, which is being assessed. ‘‘We have to move on, and I need to make things right for my family.’’

The couple paid Mager about $450,000 for building materials and had spent another $50,000 on remedial work. Many materials did not arrive.

SmartWay’s original price for the

10-container home was $424,000, including installation to code-compliance standard. That did not include the foundations and exterior services such as a septic tank and drainage.

Transport prices increased because of

Covid-19 difficulties and the couple paid the extra directly to the Chinese manufacturer because they thought it was unfair for SmartWay to carry the cost.

They would have tried to work with Mager if he had been honest about his problems, Fitzgerald said. ‘‘We could have helped. It didn’t need to be like this.’’

The container home was no nearer completion, Fitzgerald said.

He suspected another $350,000 would be needed to finish the building.